Police are looking for information about a person carrying a helmet who boarded this taxi in Sai Wan Ho Street on the morning of the attack. Photo: SCMP pictures

Police made a breakthrough last night in their investigations into the horrific attack on former Ming Pao chief editor Kevin Lau Chun-to. They have located the taxi driver who picked up one of the two suspects involved in the attack and drove him to Kowloon Tong MTR station, according to a source.

The lead came several hours after Lau made an impassioned appeal from his hospital bed to the people of Hong Kong: "Stand up for press freedom."

Visitors to Lau described him as spirited and communicative.

They quoted Lau as saying that he "tended to believe" that articles published by Ming Pao while he was editor had led to his being attacked with a meat cleaver on Wednesday.

"His first sentence to me was, 'I hope Hongkongers will stand up for press freedom'," lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah said. Lawmaker James Tien Pei-chun quoted Lau as saying that he wanted a cup of coffee.

Others relayed that Lau had said that he felt no pain in his back where he suffered a deep, 16cm wound but that his toes were numb. Lau’s condition was upgraded from critical to serious on Friday.

The attack was condemned in the Legislative Council yesterday as reporters from Ming Pao and other media organisations collected signatures in Causeway Bay to demand quick arrests.

A police source said that on top of the HK$3 million offered by Ming Pao, increased from an initial HK$1 million after donations poured in, police might put up their own cash reward.

An officer said the attack bore the hallmarks of the Wo Shing Wo triad society. The motorcycle initially used by the hitmen to escape was stolen in Fanling, a Wo Shing Wo stronghold.

Lau had just left his car on the Sai Wan Ho waterfront when a pillion passenger leapt off the motorcycle and slashed him from behind.

Additional reporting by Jeffie Lam, Jennifer Ngo and Lana Lam

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Police make progress on Lau case

This will have nothing to do with debt or any personal issue other than his work. Pro-Beijing apologists try to pull this same stunt every time a journalist is attacked. In fact, I predicted they would days ago.

dynamco Mar 1st 20146:02am

since the police should have information on what clothing they were wearing + arrival time at Kowloon Tong means the ratbags will be on candid camera in the MTR = hopefully already identified?

tkruemmer Mar 1st 201411:22am

Neither Hong Kong nor China can afford such barbarism. The recent cases of gangsters and drug-dealers working under the protection of top CCP officials were bad enough - and now this! How do you want to attract foreign direct investment, if this is the sate of affairs? May be Li Ka-Shing is right, Hong Kong is on its way out.

caractacus Mar 2nd 20142:38am

The motor cycle used in the attack was stolen in Fanling, classic Heung Yee **** territory, so the police should also look at what Lau Chun-to has been writing about these evil gangsters who are so close to C. Y. Leung's administration.
Ming Pao has been covering the rampant corruption in the Small House Policy in which the administration has been colluding with the H Y K by zoning country parks for massive development.
Perhaps some Village Representative ordered the attack? Or was it a personal issue? No-one knows yet, but let's hope Mr Lau recovers well and carries on the good work.

Dai Muff Mar 1st 201410:12am

"Kowloon Tong MTR" is also a rail station, or maybe you did not notice. He could have gone to ANY MTR station. He's back up in the mainland by now.

The record of solving violent attacks against critical voices or organisations (and particularly tracking down or exposing the commissioners of those acts) hardly fills one with the confidence you profess.

chuchu59 Mar 1st 20148:46pm

The Police needs to pull out all the stops and nab the attackers. I am not sure what they had in mind in announcing that they had interviewed the cabbie. Would this lead to the attacker change his hiding place? I assume the Police were under intense pressure and wanted the public to know they are trying their hardest. I can assure the HK Police that the whole of HK is fully behind them and hope these attackers can be nabbed soon to let criminals know violence is unwelcome here.